The Bon Appetite and Bento Boxes

Overview

WHO

Dan Black and Martin Blum of Black+Blum

WHAT

Box Appetit & Bento Box are highly functional food containers that improve upon the traditional lunchbox. “I was eating from a container that really wasn’t intended for the purpose – and everyone around me was doing the same. Everyone has a different lunch, and eats it in a different way. This isn't an area where one option genuinely suits all," says Dan Black.

NEEDS

Black+Blum had a demanding set of parameters for the Bon Appetite and Bento Boxes. They wanted a crystal-clear shock-proof material that wasn't going to fade or craze over time; they wanted both microwavable and dishwasher safe and for the material to be BPA free. They also wanted something that would last. “You don’t expect your porcelain plates to be thrown away after six months,” explained Martin Blum. “We wanted to work with materials that have exactly that same feel -- something which you are buying for life.”

MATERIAL

The only material that met Black+Blum’s criteria was Tritan™. “The polypropylene body was straightforward; the challenge was finding a material suitable for the lid. An opaque polypropylene lid would have worked, but it lacks the desirability we wanted. By using Tritan™ to create this beautiful thick-sectioned clear lid we’ve given Box Appetit a very definite aesthetic appeal.”

SUCCESS

With worldwide demand for Box Appetit showing no signs of fading, and the Bento Box posting impressive sales globally, Black sees the lunchbox expanding. "There isn't one lunchbox that suits all kinds of food, so if we do more, there will be different markets for it. There are exciting things to discover out there."